Around 31,000 evacuated as Monsoon floods devastate Myanmar

Yangon, July 10 (IANS) About 31,000 people have been evacuated since the beginning of July due to floods affecting several parts of Myanmar, according to the country's Department of Disaster Management on Wednesday.

Daw Lay Shwe Sin Oo, director from the Department of Disaster Management under the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, said on Wednesday that the flood victims came from 6,320 households, and the areas affected by the floods included Kachin state and Sagaing, Magway, and Mandalay regions.

According to her, at least 23,298 people were affected in Kachin, 7,478 in Sagaing, 146 in Magway, and 56 in Mandalay, reported Xinhua news agency.

The disaster management department has established a total of 128 relief shelters in the affected areas, with 73 of them in Kachin, 48 in Sagaing, three in Magway, and four in Mandalay, the official said.

Fifteen houses in Kachin state have been completely destroyed due to the floods, and many schools have been temporarily closed, she said.

According to the disaster management department, there were no deaths and injuries due to the floods reported during the cited period.

The Myanmar Fire Services Department said in its reports that their local fire services personnel, rescuers, and relevant organizations have raised awareness for potential floods in the affected areas and conducted rescue operations there.

The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology reported that the water levels of Ayeyarwady River, Myitnge River, and Chindwin River in 18 towns across Kachin, Sagaing, Magway, and Mandalay on Wednesday was above their respective warning marks.

In Myanmar, July and August are in the middle of the rainy season, and heavy rains are typical during this period, the weather agency said.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement also issued alerts for water-related disasters and taken preventive measures against the disasters, noting that July and August typically see water-related disasters, including flash floods and landslides.

According to local media reports, local authorities, military personnel, fire services personnel, and rescue organizations in the affected areas of the Southeast Asian country have been engaged in evacuating floods-affected residents and providing food and drinking water for them. The relief centers where the flood victims took shelters also included monasteries, churches, and schools, the reports said.

The weather agency also advised residents living near riverbanks and in low-lying areas in affected areas to take precautionary measures.

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